Trafalgar Square is being trashed, says gallery chief

The director of the National Gallery has complained that pedestrianisation and mass public events have "destroyed" the essence of Trafalgar Square.

Nicholas Penny spoke of his "horror" that the square has become a "stadium" and called for the pedestrianisation of the north side to be reversed to restore tranquillity for art lovers.

Dr Penny said: "It's impossible for anyone in my position not to want the traffic back. The chief result of pedestrianisation has been the trashing of a civic space." He has called for the road which separated the gallery from the square to be restored after it was paved over by former mayor Ken Livingstone in a £25million scheme in 2003, creating a piazza free of traffic fumes.

Dr Penny, who returned as director in 2007 after 10 years working in America, said he felt "shock and horror" that the square was no longer an area of "civilised reflection". He believes it has deteriorated due to noise from frequent public events, which is intrusive for visitors trying to quietly appreciate art and architecture.

He said: "I hate what's happening. Levels of civil behaviour are incredibly low. As I speak, people are riding the lions and climbing up as far as they can on the reliefs of Nelson's Column."

The director's criticism extends to One & Other, the art event by Antony Gormley which sees members of the public occupying the fourth plinth an hour at a time for 24 hours a day for the next three months. He said: "The conversion of the fourth plinth into a soap box or theatrical stage may be high-minded in intention but is symptomatic of this pervasive antagonism to architectural order. Official agencies are complicit in the destruction of a major amenity in the centre of our capital city."

He also attacked the number of official events staged outside the gallery. Last year there were 146 mass gatherings, including 35 demonstrations, 19 promotional events such as the filming of the T-Mobile singalong and another 60, including Chinese New Year celebrations, backed by the Mayor's office. "This is a great city square, but its nature is denied by these events. They put barriers up so no one can walk across it."

Dr Penny said he was not opposed to the buskers or artists and likes the "incredibly skilful" rollerbladers, but said the redevelopment had failed to create a public square akin to the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, which was the template. He added: "No one is speaking out for the civil uses of the square - the idea of a village green where anything can happen."